Submitted

Wed, Jan 29th 2014 10:55 pm

Following
a Jan. 11 ice jam causing devastating flooding
to homes in West Seneca neighborhoods, Congressman Brian Higgins wrote to New
York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald urging an
expedited start date and redesigned structure for the planned replacement of
the Route 240 bridge over the Buffalo Creek in West Seneca.

In his
letter, Higgins wrote, in part: "We cannot say, with certainty, that any one
environmental or design feature in this floodway caused this jam to occur,
including the bridge piers. It is reasonable to suspect, however, that these
piers may have contributed to the accumulation and slowing of ice in this
vicinity and may have played a role."

The
bridge was scheduled for letting in 2015, but Higgins argues the threat of
future ice jams merits prioritizing the project. He also recommends redesigning
the bridge to "minimize the potential contribution of the bridge's elements to
ice accumulation, including, as appropriate, a reduction in the number of
piers."

Higgins
previously called
for an investigation into an ice jam in the Niagara River that occurred
during a Jan. 7 winter storm that led to threats of flooding in Grand Island
and Niagara Falls neighborhoods.

The full
text of Higgins' letter is below:

"January
29, 2014

"Ms. Joan
McDonald

"Commissioner

"New York
State Department of Transportation

"50 Wolf
Road

"Albany,
NY 12232

"Re: The
Bridge Conveying Route 240 Over Buffalo Creek and the January 11 Flood

"Dear
Commissioner McDonald:

"On
Saturday, January 11 of this year, an ice jam formed in the vicinity of the
bridge conveying Harlem Road over the Buffalo Creek in the town of West Seneca,
NY. This ice jam resulted in severe flooding in a neighborhood 4/5 mile
upstream. An initial assessment of the damage found that thirteen homes had
severe or structural damage, and an additional twenty-seven homes had
significant damage to mechanical systems. In addition to widespread basement
flooding, eleven homes had their ground floors inundated according to the
initial assessment.

"The
current bridge structure has five bridge piers in the Buffalo Creek; all of the
bridges downstream have either one pier or no piers. We cannot say, with
certainty, that any one environmental or design feature in this floodway caused
this jam to occur, including the bridge piers. It is reasonable to suspect,
however, that these piers may have contributed to the accumulation and slowing
of ice in this vicinity and may have played a role.

"As such,
I write today to advocate that the replacement of this bridge as part of the
state's regular federal aid highway program proceed without delay; it is already
slated for letting in 2015. I further write to advocate that the design of the
new structure take into account the propensity of this stretch or river toward
damaging ice jam floods, and that the new design should minimize the potential
contribution of the bridge's elements to ice accumulation, including, as
appropriate, a reduction in the number of piers.

"According
to the current regional Transportation Improvement Program document, the bridge
replacement had been slated to cost approximately $12 million, and as you are
aware these types of projects typically are financed with a mix of 80% federal
highway aid and 20% state transportation funds. Additional costs associated
with making the bridge more flood-resilient may be an eligible use of some of
the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding which have been made
available for the state to use statewide as a result of hurricanes Sandy and
Irene. HMGP is a federal program administered through FEMA which helps finance
the upgrade of public infrastructure to reduce the risk of damage from future
natural disasters.